Dr. Andy Johnsen is the Superintendent of the San Marcos Unified School District in San Marcos, C.A. His 30-year career as a teacher and administrator in both urban and suburban schools, and at every level of district administration, has made him passionate about the impact that school leaders can have on student success.

In 2002, during his first year as an elementary school principal, Andy was at his desk working, when he suddenly experienced a racing heartbeat and lightheadedness. He remembers almost losing consciousness! An emergency trip to the doctor revealed that he had suffered a stress-induced panic attack. The cause was simply from “burning the candle at both ends” for too long. Serendipitously, around that same time, he received a flyer for The Breakthrough Coach’s Foundations Course: “How to Work Less, Produce More, and Still Get the Job Done in a Sensible School Week.” He and his secretary enrolled, and the experience changed everything.

Andy has been practicing The Breakthrough Coach system for 22 years, both as a site principal and as a central office administrator, as well as in his role as Superintendent. This has allowed him to spend two days per week in classrooms and school sites observing instruction, coaching teachers and administrators, and gathering observational data for ongoing improvements. As a principal, his school twice received the Title 1 Academic Achievement Award, and the school’s California Academic Performance Index reached an all-time high of 842! In 2015 he was named Principal of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators, and in 2023 he was named a Superintendent to Watch by the California School Public Relations Association.

He is a member of the International Coach Federation and is certified to coach instructional leaders in self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and to build their capacity to deliver results.

Andy earned his B.A. from California State University, Long Beach, his M.S. in Educational Administration from Pepperdine University, and his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from UCLA.

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